The Board has reopened the Veteran's service connection claim for a low back disability and granted it, finding that new evidence supports the claim. The Veteran is now entitled to service connection for degenerative disc disease at L4-L5 and L5-S1.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner confirmed the Veteran's diagnosis with degenerative disc disease at L4-L5 and L5-S1, which was related to his in-service low back injury.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease at L4-L5 and L5-S1
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 0%
- Decision date
- June 16, 2011
- Citation
- 1123088
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 1123088.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his back disability is denied as the evidence does not show that he meets or approximates the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent prior to October 13, 2009 and 40 percent from October 13, 2009 forward.,The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for his right lower extremity radiculopathy is denied as the evidence does not show that he meets or approximates the criteria for a separate compensable rating prior to October 13, 2009.
- Denied
The veteran's service-connected degenerative disc disease at L4-L5 and L5-S1 is currently rated as 60 percent disabling. A separate 10 percent rating for left lower extremity sciatica has been granted effective September 23, 2002. The Board denied the claim for TDIU due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The veteran's low back disorder, characterized by severe limitation of motion and moderate incomplete paralysis of the sciatic nerve, is currently rated at 60 percent. The Board finds that this rating adequately reflects his disability.
- Denied
The veteran's low back syndrome with degenerative disc disease at L4-L5 and L5-S1, and radiculopathy is currently rated as 40 percent disabling. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.
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